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February 18, 2011

Assembly GOP rushes vote, then rescinds it; Mason 'outraged'

Just a few minutes after the Assembly was called to order on Friday night it was adjourned.

The reason given: security concerns.

Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said he called the session "to force the issue" and gain a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's "budget repair" bill. Democrats weren't even present when action began, but when they arrived they loudly objected.

That's not why Fitzgerald adjourned the session within 30 minutes. Rather, he told WisPolitics, he sent everyone home because Walker called to tell him to get members and staff out of the building; "their safety could no longer be assured."

The leadership of the Assembly has decided to recess due to security concerns. We will reconvene on Tuesday morning and are confident that the security concerns will no longer exist. We are committed as ever to pass Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill and will do so next week. Millions of taxpayers spoke in November and we will not let them down. We have a fiscal crisis that can’t be ignored. We have the votes to pass the bill; it is only a matter of time.

Before the adjournment,the Assembly approached chaos, according to the Journal Sentinel. Republican leaders were pushing action even before the Democratic members arrived, and by a voice vote made sure the bill could not be amended. But with the adjournment, that action was cancelled. The Assembly will resume deliberations at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, said the Republicans' actions "violated Assembly rules and traditions" and were "illegal and unprecedented." "You have trampled on our democracy," he said.

He issued the following statement:

“Being in the majority does not mean you get to take away people’s freedom,” said Mason. “It’s outrageous enough that you are determined to trample on workers’ rights, but now, tonight, with your illegal actions, you have trampled on the very foundation that our legislative actions rest upon.”

The Assembly’s session was scheduled to start at 5 p.m. The quorum call began at approximately 4:56 p.m., and votes to engross the bill and suspend the first and second reading of the bill passed on voice votes. The body was set to vote on final passage of the bill when Democrats were finally recognized by the Speaker. The Republicans have 58 members in their caucus, which meets the three-fifths quorum requirement for a fiscal bill.

“I have never been so angry or so disappointed,” said Rep. Mason. “The same people sent us here. We swore an oath to our constituents that we would adhere to certain principles that are the foundation of our democracy. I do not even recognize what is happening in this great state.”

Republicans later agreed to rescind their illegal votes, return the bill to an amendable stage, and then adjourned the Assembly until Tuesday.

“While I appreciate that my Republican colleagues saw the grievous error of their ways and did the right thing by rescinding their illegal votes, the fact remains that they were hell bent on passing this bill in an unprecedented and illegal way tonight. I am outraged.”

“You get to set the agenda but we have rights. And they will be abided by,” Mason concluded.

"We swore an oath to our constituents that we would adhere to certain principles that are the foundation of our democracy"Hey Mason. Then get those traitor Democrat Senators back to work and vote! You won't because you are going to lose! You Democrats LOST the election. You are all acting like spoiled brats! We're OUTRAGED at YOU and the rest of the socialist goons. We're OUTRAGED that Barack Hussein Obama has stuck his face into our business and we're OUTRAGED at the out-of- state union thugs that have invaded our state. It sounds like it's time for the National Guard to come in and clean up the manure.

Hold the attitude about this Mason. You and the dems have been doing this since you got the majority a few years back. Doyle did all the Indian compacts without legislative input. The dems in both houses ramed through legislation in closed door session and regularly ran over GOP opposition while you had power. You personally tried to sneak in new spending in the 11th hour to budget bills. You have no high ground here Cory. While I hoped things would be better with GOP, it looks like they learned their tricks from the dems over the past few years. Cory you have no right to be upset because the other party is doing what you have been doing for years.

Hey anon 8:59: The demonstrations and protests have been peaceful, yet you want "the National Guard to come in and clean up the manure," and Rebublican Paul Ryan referred to the peaceful demonstrations as "riots." Sorry, but the right of peaceful assembly extends here just as it did during all of the Tea Party gatherings last summer and fall. I might think a lot of the TP voices are morons, but they certainly have the right to gather, picket, protest, and do whatever they want as long as it's peaceful.

As a moderate non-Dem and non-Repub, what ticks me off most about all of this is attitudes like yours: "Us" and "Them" regarding parties. This state doesn't belong to Republicans now, just like it didn't belong to Dems the past few years. It belongs to all of us. Both parties have done stupid things. Both can help clean it up.

Anon 11:50: I'm honored to have ticked you off. I hope you didn't pop more than one vein. It's interesting that you think a lot of TP voices are morons. Even though I believe that All liberal voices are morons, I never said they didn't have a right to demonstrate. Actually, I'm a veteran so I guess you could say that I've stuck my neck out in an effort to guarantee that right to do so. However, when the hallways are blocked in the Capital and our elected officials cannot get out, the line has been crossed. It is no longer a peaceful demonstration. There are reports that Governor Walkers safety is a concern. Is it peaceful for demonstrators to hold up signs picturing all the Republican leaders?? That sound like a threat to me. Why did I see a protester holding up a sign picturing Governor Walker with a target over his photo? That sounds like a threat to me. Barack Hussein Obama calls out his neighborhood goon squads to rabble rouse. Sounds like a threat to me. Busloads of out of state people entering Madison to "join the fight". That sounds like a threat to me. We in the silent majority have had enough. Bring it on!

Sounds like a republican ploy. They thought the middle class was going to roll over. They thought they would come between the police and fire vs public employees.

It backfired on them. Less than 2,000 "tea baggers" owned by the Koch brothers. WOW. Then there were over 60,000 middle class workers fighting to preserve their bargaining rights and keeping Wisconsin from being totally owned and operated by the Koch brothers - second largest contributors to Walker's campaign.

Koch brothers are billionaire right wing radicals who cashed in their stock in their green bay business and then turned and slash the he .ll out of the workers up there.

Walker's power grab is being pulled in by the LAWS of Wisconsin. he is being told that he can't power grab somethings. You are right, BRING IT ON. He isn't going to bring right wing trash into wisconsin to gut everything that is good about our state.

Thousands of people who voted for him are voicing their concern . this isn't what they voted for.

Silent majority? Silent? If you are a senior you should be downright alarmed what is in there. Even the AARP is against this bill and how it is being slammed through.

Walkers power grab? You had better look in the mirror! AARP? You have got to be kidding. AARP is in the pocket of the liberals and has been for years. The democratic "machine" was mobilized by the Barack Hussein Obama regime. People from OUT OF STATE were brought here to intimidate and pressure both the taxpayers and REPUBLICAN MAJORITY. Did you really expect more Walker supporters to show up? You'd have to be nuts. You will not intimidate us! The entire world is watching you idiots and your signs. Do you have any idea how many people would love to make even half of a teachers' yearly pay/benefits? They'd even be willing to work for an entire 12 months for it! As far as the "tea bagger" comment is concerned...my mother is too nice to flip you off so consider yourself flipped off by me. Twice! As far as the Egypt reference is concerned, regarding Walker....I think that makes Walker, "THE GOVERNOR OF WISCONSIN". ROFLMAO! It is Governor Walker that represents the good in Wisconsin and he has the power because he has millions of us taxpayers behind him. That's millions so your 20,000, 40,000, 60,000 demonstrators...it really doesn't matter how many illegally truant teachers and "wet behind the ear" students demonstrate. We're tired of paying for your "bargained" freebee benefits so it's about to end. Union bargaining rights are NOT GARANTEED in the Constitution. YOU WILL LOOSE this battle and in case you haven't heard, WISCONSIN IS OPEN FOR BUSNESS. By the way...nice job memorizing all those liberal talking points!I'm lucky to be a public employee. Unlike many others, I at least have a job. I worked many years in the private sector and I do know what it's like not to have a job. I was also a member of a union for many, many, years. No more! I for one am willing to share in paying for the cost of my benefits. To my employers, thank you for my employment!

What part don't you guys get? Wisconsin IS BROKE. There is NO MONEY. DOYLE SPENT IT ALL! You are being offered your jobs with no layoffs and no furlough days and all you have to do is pay a small portion for your benefits. No pay cut. No loss of benefits. Walker is being too nice. He could just decertify the public sector unions. Maybe he should. If you don't like it, don't bother coming home from your protesting because your jobs will be eliminated. For real! I just don't get it.

The money our state needs has been handed to the richie-poos in the form of tax cuts. If Wisconsin taxes the maxi-billionaire malefactors masquerading as job creators who've outsourced local jobs to Third World countries, the budget crisis will be over. Coming sooner than the elite may think to certain cushy Wind Point compounds: the Taxman versus the Waxclan.

Oct. 6, 1995: At 5 a.m., after an all-night session of the Wisconsin Senate, Sen. George Petak, R-Racine, switches his vote, enabling the plan to use taxpayer money to build a retractable-roof stadium for the Brewers to pass by a 16-15 margin. (The switch costs Petak his seat in the Senate: On June 4, 1996, he loses to Rep. Kim Plache, D-Racine, in a recall election.)

Rich predators like Walker's masters the Koch brothers are not--and never have been--job creators. What they are is exploiters of desperate people who have nothing but their labor to sell. The Kochs desire to destroy ALL unions and reduce the working class to serfdom. For generations their family has yearned to repeal the New Deal. In cahoots with the Bradleys and the Johnsons, their puppet Thompson destroyed social programs. The Kochs and their oligarchic pals must be stopped and their money-bag marionettes (e.g. Walker and Co.) must be recalled.

Here's a song for would-be President Walker: JAIL TO THE THIEF. Joking aside, we know who took Koch cash in exchange for a sleazy bill allowing his masters to purchase state-owned power plants for pennies on the dollar. It's time to try, convict and lock up Walker along with his loot lords.

Sad to say, the Waxtrash Corporate Crime Family, the Brat-leys and the Kook Bothers are union busting enemies of the people who deserve to forfeit all they have and are. May a common man's government swiftly strip them of their fortunes and incarcerate them.

We wonder what sort of "good time" the Kochs would give Walker out in "Cali." (The fact that Walker accepted what he thought was an invitation to party hearty with David Koch leads me to suspect that booze, babes and bucks would have been on the agenda...)